Dissonance
by AsYouAre
Summary: Regina Mills is used to monotony. In fact, she's nearly gotten her whole life figured out. But when an elusive new tenant moves in next door, and tries to annoy her in song, Regina has to come to terms with the fact that perhaps her life isn't destined to be as mundane as she thought.


_A/N: So, this here is a tiny little SUPER BELATED birthday present for my lovely, Bea. Happy belated birthday! Hope you enjoyed your day, as well as this little ol' gift! Thanks to Janice for the prompt!_

 _So, I really wanted to make this a multichapter but I can't in good conscience, when I have several other WIPs. That said, this will be a three-part saga, but I'll always be open to prompts pertaining to this universe—you need simply ask, and I'll be more than willing to oblige. (Particularly with smut haha) Anyways, I hope you all enjoy, especially you, my dear Bea. Happy birthday again!_

* * *

Regina loves mornings. You'd think given her grouchy demeanor and ever-present scowl, that that wouldn't be the case. She isn't particularly pleasant to anyone in the morning— and who would be when teaching an 8 AM PoliSci 101 class to a bunch of freshmen that only signed up because they thought it would be easy and not at all because they actually care? She loves her job, truly, she does, but she swears the youth are getting less intelligent with each passing year and making it increasingly more difficult to make an impression or instill the value of education into their young minds.

Yet, despite her overwhelming decline in excitement for her job, she _loves_ mornings. She looks forward to the sunlight that streams through her window and illuminates her room in a soft, buttery yellow that makes her feel warm and comfortable. She looks forward to the intoxicating smell of coffee that wafts through the air of her apartment after she puts the pot on. She even enjoys the disrupting and nerve-wracking sound of traffic that bellows through her window panes from the street below.

But, if she's honest, her favorite part of her mornings is her shower. And that has absolutely nothing to do with the shower itself. The water pressure sucks and the lighting is dingy and completely unflattering. Not to mention, the space is small and cramped, making her morning routine potentially hazardous. But those qualities have become sort of inconsequential lately, thanks to a certain new addition into her life.

It'd happened just over two months ago, right before the semester started. She'd decided to start going to campus the week before, so that she could easily slide back into her new routine once the semester actually started. Plus, it gave her a chance to get a bit of work done for her classes so that she could, at least, appear well prepared for the first week. Because the summer had not been so facilitating for that goal.

But it turned out that she was familiar with the routine, had no trouble at all getting back into it. She woke up on time with little to no hassle— truthfully, she wakes up at that time during her breaks, anyway, because why change her routine, only to change it back a few months later? So, there technically weren't any needed adjustments for her internal clock. In fact, she didn't need a single adjustment to her morning routine, period.

It seemed, however, that fate thought rather differently.

It began on the Wednesday before classes started. She'd gotten up just as the pink hues of the California sky bled into her apartment, inaugurating the sunrise and the invitation to begin her day. Her day, which started like any other. She got up, put a pot of her favorite dark roast on, turned her television to the news, ate her daily morning apple and waited for her whole wheat toast. It was a day like many before it—nothing out of the usual— the news was typical with a sunny forecast, the mention of a few collisions on the freeway and the run-down of lunch menus of the elementary schools in the local area.

Everything was just the same, so she had no reason to suspect when she waltzed her way to her dingy, pathetic excuse for a bathroom, that her life would completely change. She'd proceeded with her regular routine, turning on the warm spray, then stripping bare slowly to give the shower time to heat up. But something different happened that'd never been a problem before. She can still vividly remember the rush of irritation she felt following the sound of water gushing on the other side of the wall.

She'd known already that someone had moved in next door, though, she hadn't gone to welcome them or anything. She's not very neighborly and she wasn't going to change that just because someone had finally taken up residence in batty, old Nurse Ratched's former apartment. Regina can also vividly remember the excitement she felt when her previous neighbor finally moved out—although, to be honest, it turned out to be more bittersweet than anything. Somedays, Regina finds herself missing the old bitch. And it probably hit its peak the day she heard that shower turn on across the wall.

Her irritation stemmed from the fact that they share a water heater, which would have effectively shortened and cooled her shower down. In hindsight, she thinks she might have overreacted a bit to the new tenant's presence, but she was furious when she heard the symphony of the running water, the scrape of the curtain moving and—the worst part—their incessant, nerve-grating whistling. And she wasn't able to help herself when she chose to retaliate.

She'd listened to music while she was in the shower a few times, but usually she chose not to because it was difficult to hear and was more of a hassle than a benefit. But that day, she'd tempestuously ripped out her phone and pulled up her Spotify and hit play. And as she tucked herself away into the shower stall, she heard the first few bars of the Spice Girls' _Wannabe_ play through the speaker. But the music didn't deter the person across the wall. In fact, Regina's swears to this very day that they started whistling even louder upon the introduction of the music. So, Regina did what she had to in retribution. She'd opened her mouth and sang "I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want," as loud as she possibly could have.

The only thing is that she shouldn't have been naïve enough to think that her new neighbor wouldn't have a rebuttal. As she was rounding out of the second verse and into the next chorus, she heard a blaring tenor voice join into her singing and deliver back up vocals for her. Eventually, their duet became a simple screaming match to see which of them could holler the lyrics louder over the other.

She's surprised that the other tenants in their apartment building didn't complain. Because neither of them relented in the slightest. There was no way in hell that she was going to.

Regina liked to believe that she was a formidable human being. She never liked playing slave to anyone or bending to their will. Things had always been on her terms, her way. It'd been a trait she'd adapted as a young girl, from her mother, who was equally as headstrong. Cora had been bossy for all of Regina's life and frankly pushed Regina and her father around a lot. But when her father passed, he left a letter in his will for her that asked that she promise to never let another human being treat her like that again. He'd reminded her that she was bright and tough and could stand up to anyone—her mother included. That alone had given Regina the strength to persevere and she'd kept her promise everyday since. She was a force to be reckoned with at law school and in the courtroom and now at the university where she teaches. Students feared her and colleagues respected her, and no one really bothered to challenge her.

That is, until her numbskull neighbor came along.

Because he didn't stop there. Oh no. In fact, he sang every song that followed. She got a whole cover concert setlist filled with some Journey, a little Whitney Houston, a bit from Michael Jackson, and then the grand finale with Toto's _Africa_. And he made sure to sing them at the top of his lungs just to royally piss her off. Had she not been so incensed at the time, she might have gotten the chance to admire how beautiful his voice was. Of course, she's made up for that now, but, at the time, she wanted nothing more than to rip out his vocal chords and feed them to him.

But at the same time, and over the time that she's gotten to know him, she'd found a level of respect for him. While she absolutely loathes being challenged, or having her buttons pushed, she can't help but respect the people who actually try it. It's not really like she wants to be feared. In fact, what she wants most is to be respected and understood. She'd never admit that aloud, of course, but still, she just wants to be heard. So, when someone is willing to challenge her, she can't stop the feeling that maybe they aren't afraid of her and, as much as it scares her, can see through her harsh façade.

That's why her friends, though few and far between, are incredibly close to her. Her closest friend, Emma, whom she'd met at the lawfirm where she worked for a few years, saw right through her bullshit. Although, that case wasn't _exactly_ Regina's defensiveness. She just didn't want the pretty, young blonde to make partner before she did. Regardless, Regina still developed respect for Emma as they got to know each other and they ended up bonding. Besides Emma, and Regina's other close friend—and head of the department—Dr. Fuego, she hasn't encountered much rebellion over the years, nor made that many friendships.

But, whenever she does come across anyone that is as headstrong as she is, she feels as though she owes it to herself to, at least, entertain the idea of getting to know more about the person.

Like, for instance, the adorable British man that's in a couple of her classes this semester and who hasn't shied away in the slightest from challenging her opinions and even her teaching style. She doubts it'll go anywhere. It'd be scandalous and Regina can practically hear her mother now, lamenting about what an absolute cliché she is, having gotten mixed up with a student. Nevermind, that the man is her age—maybe a year, or two, younger—and is a father. But, oh no, Regina would undoubtedly never hear the end of that mistake. So, she keeps her distance because it's for the best, but she indulges every once in awhile, admiring the smooth silkiness of his voice and his nicely toned arms and his panty dropping scruff and—the best part— his stunning, heart-stopping blue eyes that just make everything seem brighter. And every time, she tells herself it's the last time, but when the next opportunity arises, she dismisses her admonishments from the day prior.

She can't touch, but that doesn't mean she can't look all she wants, right?

But before Robin, came her mysterious, albeit annoying, neighbor, who has managed to get under her skin in the worst way. And now, he's become a staple part of her life, in a very unconventional way.

After their first musical shower spat, her neighbor decided that that was just the beginning of a long war that they were going to wage against one another. The next morning she was delighted to start her shower in peace. She'd had a foolish, fleeting thought that perhaps their shower rendezvous, the previous day, was merely coincidental. But as soon as that thought had come and gone, the glass vase of peace she'd immersed herself in was brutally cracked by the vexatious intro to Wham!'s _Wake Me Up Before You Go Go_. And it wasn't long before George Michael's voice was drowned out obnoxiously by her neighbor's.

She'd had half a mind that day to throw on a towel, march over to his apartment, bang down the door and give him an earful, but she wanted to keep her dignity as intact as possible. It was clear, though, that her neighbor was purposefully trying to annoy her, whether it was for his own benefit or simply to be a nuisance, she'll never know, but nevertheless, his intentions had been made clear.

At first, she tried just ignoring him, letting him wail out the lyrics of each passing tune while she focused on her shower. She'd endured many lectures from Cora that required her to stay focused on the task at hand so that she didn't break down (and simply because she's that stubborn).

Piano lessons had been helpful, made it easier to feign distraction. Cora would get started on one of her childish rants and Regina would just totter over to the piano, plop down and rehearse her scales. It used to drive her mother crazy, especially as Regina got older because Cora could eventually see right through her intentions. It came to a head at some point, resulting in Cora ripping Regina by the arm from the piano bench and throwing her to the ground. It'd been the first time Cora had been physically abusive toward her daughter. By then, Regina was entirely used to the verbal insults and the reprimand, but the physicality added a new dent—no, a crater, really—to their relationship, one that was deeper than the Grand Canyon and more irreparable than a totaled car.

Regina had given up piano after that. In fact, she abandoned all her musical talents. And not to toot her own horn but she was good, she had the skill. She dreamed of becoming a musician turned music teacher someday but all of that evaporated after Cora tainted the one thing she loved the most.

Things were never the same for her after that. She became more reclusive and submissive to Cora's agenda. She started studying history and prepping herself for a concentration in pre-law for her undergrad, just as Cora wanted. And before Regina knew it, she was on the fast track to law school and quickly found a job as an associate at Blanchard & Gold, a law firm that just so happened to be owned by two men, who'd each had a dalliance with her mother, much to her dismay. But she'd done some assistant work there before law school and Leo promised her a place after she passed the bar. She couldn't really give up the chance, especially with her mother breathing down her neck.

Regina meticulously followed every wish and whim Cora had for her future, and she let Cora bask in the glory of her triumphs, while she slowly became a shell of a person, living a life she never wanted. It wasn't until things went a little south at Blanchard & Gold, for reasons Regina keeps to herself, that things got better for her and why she's now in academia instead of practicing law. She isn't teaching music like she'd once wished but she is good at what she does and actually enjoys talking about the law. Then again, she attributes that mostly to the fact that she likes being an expert in something.

Nevertheless, she's happier now, being away from Blanchard & Gold, as well as, being estranged from her mother, a byproduct of the fallout with the firm. However, there's always that little prick in her chest that comes and goes from time to time and reminds her that the only reason she is where she is is because of her own petulance and pride. If she hadn't tested her mother, if she hadn't pushed first, perhaps her life would be wholly different and maybe even better. So, she tries to keep her ire tamped down, delicately picking and choosing her battles, as to not step on a mine in a minefield she can't escape.

Starting an unnecessary war with her neighbor seemed… well, unnecessary.

She took him belting out the lyrics for the entirety of her showers for the next few days, figuring if she didn't react, then he couldn't win. The technique may not have succeeded with Cora, but Regina knew by then not to engage with them at all. If they feel as if she isn't fazed, then eventually they will stop. And while, yes, it pissed her off that her showers were a bit cooler and more brief, she was content where she was and did not need to give the HOA any reason to rain on her parade.

The only problem was by Saturday, her neighbor had not waned in the slightest toward letting her be. His music had gotten a little less obnoxious and she almost believed he'd gone back to playing his music solely for his enjoyment but it was still loud and he was still singing along. She'd wondered if he was trying to get her to quit her morning shower altogether, or if he was simply trying to spark her rage. But it didn't really matter because she _wasn't_ going to react either way. She had actually given thought to just taking a nightly shower instead, but her obstinance was too profound for that to be the case.

However, her patience was running thin with the music. So, she decided on Sunday morning, when she got up, that she was going to have to put her pride aside long enough to put an end to the music.

By then, she wasn't surprised to find her neighbor already showering and using up the majority of the hot water. But there was something that did take her by surprise that day.

The style of music he was listening to took a drastic change between Saturday and Sunday.

When she'd shuffled into her bathroom, she wasn't greeted by the 80s pop/rock from Wednesday and Thursday, nor the soft americana that she'd heard on Friday and Saturday. No, Sunday had been a whole realm of different music. Her ears were instead graced with the bouncy tune of Bare Necessities upon her entrance, which immediately caught her attention.

To say Regina is a Disney lover is an understatement. It's probably surprising given her overall attitude towards most things, but she is one gigantic Disney loving dork. She's seen every movie and owns just about every soundtrack. She nearly has an aneurysm anytime a new movie is getting released. And she often takes Henry, Emma's son, to Disneyland, as well as, to see every single new Disney movie. That's their little thing. Emma doesn't really get it, thinks fairytales are bogus, which might be a result of her upbringing, so she lets the Disney fandemonium be Regina and Henry's thing.

Though, Regina's life has been a little more void of Disney, since she left the firm and because Emma and Neal closed on a house across the city.

So, when her neighbor inadvertently returned something she once cherished, every shred of hatred she'd once felt toward him had evaporated. It was like one of the dark clouds that had been looming over her head for sometime slipped away aimlessly, allowing in a gentle wash of sun and happiness. Like the moment in The Sound of Music when Captain von Trapp hears his children singing again for the first time in forever and the veil of tyrannical abrasiveness he wore was removed.

It wasn't that dramatic for Regina, but it sparked the flame in her chest that had begun to ebb, warming places that had gone cold.

She listened in as her neighbor jovially sang along. For a moment, Regina just quietly appreciated the little occasion. She didn't know her neighbor, hell, she didn't even really like him but, she'd have been lying if she'd have pretended like she didn't enjoy listening to him enjoy himself.

As she undressed to get in the shower, hoping to hear another familiar tune, she heard him scoff and rustle around on the other side of the wall, indicating that he was moving. She feared that he was finished and was moving to turn off the music. That fear only escalated when she heard the first few bars of her favorite Disney song of all time.

It was like a complete out of body experience the way her voice bubbled up from her chest and spewed out of her like a fountain, as the music ceased. "Wait," she'd cried out, causing his movements on the other side of the wall to stop.

She'd thought about how he was probably smirking. She had no idea at all what his face looked like but she just _knew_ that he was smirking.

Still, it didn't deter her from asking—pleading, "Leave it."

He was silent for a moment, probably basking in the pleasure of finally getting to her, but seconds later, Susan Egan's voice permeated the wall between them.

 _If there's a prize for rotten judgment_

 _I guess I've already won that_

And Regina jumps in on, "No man is worth the aggravation. That's ancient history. Been there, done that."

Her neighbor follows suit and belts out the muses' part.

 _Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'_

 _He's the Earth and heaven to you_

 _Try to keep it hidden_

 _Honey, we can see right through you_

 _Girl, ya can't conceal it_

 _We know how ya feelin'_

 _Who you're thinking of_

They'd silently made the agreement for her to sing Meg and for him to take over for the muses. And they really got into it, singing along with deep conviction and eagerness. Regina even went as far as emphatically adding moves with it, especially when she'd gotten to, "My head is screaming, 'Get a grip, girl. Unless you're dying to cry your heart out,'" resulting in her _literally_ gripping her head and shaking it while she sang.

It was ridiculous and silly, but the feeling had satiated something in Regina that she didn't even realize that was void. So, she relished in it, savored the rush of excitement and joy, and didn't stop their little duet.

When they'd finished, Regina had been chasing off her words with laughter, while her neighbor was trying to get words out of his own laughter. But she didn't bother to stop laughing, as he managed, "You know, I've been trying to figure you out. And I can definitely say I did not expect you to be a Disney person."

The assessment caused Regina to stop laughing and start frowning. "Why not?" she'd asked indignantly. "You don't even know me."

She remembers nearly picturing his silhouette shrugging and saying, "You seem too stubborn for it."

She might have taken that bit a little too offensively when he'd said it because she distinctly remembers telling him that perhaps it was just that he was too irritating to actually engage with, which he was much more gracious about. In fact, she thinks there might have been a smug murmur of, "I rest my case."

Normally, Regina would have done what Cora usually did, which was tear him limb from limb, and not let the argument go until he was absolutely eviscerated. But, she kept her cool and simply told him to shut up and play the next song.

[:]

They haven't spoken much since, then. It'd become almost an unspoken rule, that they weren't to talk, just to sing. She doesn't even know his name to this day. Has no idea what he does, what he looks like, who he is at all. All she knows is that he can sing and that he likes a wide variety of music. She often wonders if they've encountered one another somewhere, maybe the grocery store or even at the apartment complex itself. She equally wonders if they'll ever meet, and secretly dreams of the day that they could.

But another part of her, loath as she is to admit it, fears that day. What if he's young— _too_ young—for her? What if he's not cute or uninteresting? What if _he's_ not interested? What if, when it comes to something more than music, they just don't match? So she hasn't really been very earnest in suggesting they meet. Emma, on the other hand, has tried to encourage her but Regina is perpetually stubborn, refusing to follow her friend's advice.

But her stubbornness would eventually stop being an efficient defense because she knows that it will come up. Especially if her dreams about it don't stop. She's had at least six or seven dreams about it since they started having their morning ritual duet sessions and each one ends up disappointing and only heightens her anxiety about the day that it actually does happen.

She'd actually had one last night, where he turned out to be a criminal that she'd once convicted many moons ago. It'd left her pretty shaky, particularly because Jim Hades was a deranged man, who easily got under the skin of everyone who'd attended the trial. Sometimes, Regina still checks over her shoulder whenever she's alone, even though Hades has been behind bars for years and will stay there until his life ends. But that didn't make the dream any less unnerving because she can still hear his chilly voice whispering that he'd been waiting for that moment for some time.

She's probably just projecting her own foolish concerns about the situation onto her dreams, in order to stunt her momentum to officially ask to meet her neighbor. She thinks to herself as she starts her morning routine that maybe it's time she stops listening to the silly things in her head and actually put herself out there. She's already prevented herself from one gentleman caller, so why deny herself one that, at least, has the potential to be something to her. If it doesn't work out, then so be it, but at least she tried, right? That's what matters.

Regina munches pensively on her wholewheat toast and absentmindedly watches the weatherman predict another sunny day, while she weighs the pros and cons of just asking. The worst that could happen is that he's disqualified because he doesn't meet some important criteria that's needed to maintain a relationship. But, if she's honest, even that isn't true. It's not exactly like she's looking to date him or anything. Although, she'd be lying if that wasn't her official intention. Somehow, despite the aggravation and the little that she knows about him, she is still attracted to him in a way. His musical repertoire is attractive enough. But she doesn't _have_ to be in a relationship with him. If it turns out she's not attracted to him in _that_ way, they can simply just remain as friends.

Regina sighs frustratedly as she chucks her little cream cheese square wrapping in the trash and walks over to the sink to wash her hands. She can steadily hear Emma's voice chanting in the back of her mind to just do it already, reminding her that if she doesn't then she is just going to exacerbate her irrational fear of him being a criminal and never do it (and live in a perpetually fearful state, which isn't good for anyone, particularly her).

When she turns off the faucet and wrings her hand, she notices there is still the faint sound of water running coming from her bedroom, announcing her neighbor's arrival to their morning ritual. The anxiety Regina hasn't been able to shake all morning kicks up to a whole new level of panic as she freezes on the spot. She takes a few deep breaths as Emma's chants ring out louder, bouncing across her skull like a boomerang.

She needs to get a grip, march in there, and just tell the man that she wants to meet.

What's the worst that could happen? Even if he is crazy, everything is on her terms and going to be done her way, so there is little room for disaster.

That's the push she needs to unglue herself and carry onto her bathroom.

She continues her deep breaths and her self-assurances and doesn't stop until she can hear a familiar tune overpower the sound of Emma in her head. Although, the song itself doesn't stop her from thinking of Emma, actually, because the song is coincidentally one of Henry's favorites. Regina has to play the song at least once every single time he's in her car. Kind of makes it a bit nauseating, and yet, she's intoxicated (as always) by her neighbor's voice and is powerless as she follows the sound, drawing herself nearer to it.

The trance of his voice breaks through her nerves about engaging with him and carries her straight into the bathroom.

"Not this song," she bemoans as she enters, unable to help herself.

Her neighbor stops to chuckle, taking it as an invitation to actually speak to her, "Not a fan of Yazoo?"

Regina forgets her nerves in the face of defensiveness, "I didn't say that."

"Sounded to me like you hate this song," he tells her.

She doesn't _hate_ it per se, and she tells him that, adding, "I just hear it a lot."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my-uh-nephew loves this song. He listens to it practically everyday," she answers. Calling Henry her nephew was easier than explaining her entire situation with Emma and her son.

"So, you have a nephew?" he inquires curiously, while the music seems to decrease in volume.

Of course, he'd ask that. She decides to be relatively honest. "Not legally, no, but for all intents and purposes, yes."

"How old is he?" he continues to press.

Wait, does his voice sound familiar?

Regina frowns but answers his question, "Nine, soon to be ten."

"Ah," her neighbor exhales, "You a big part of his life?"

 _Used to be_ , Regina thinks bitterly to herself. She can't really be angry at Emma and Neal for moving across the city. They had to do what was best for their family and it was a really great steal. Plus, it got them out of the dingy, miniscule apartment that she and Emma once shared just before Neal and Henry came into the picture. But, Regina does get a little bitter from time to time when she thinks about how much she misses them. Even though, they aren't _that_ far away.

"Yeah," Regina lies, not really wanting to get into it.

There's a brief pause that gives enough wiggle room for Regina to segue into what she really wants to say. She thinks her neighbor is also trying to say something but she's mid-blurt before she even notices.

"I think we should meet," she announces over his voice and the music.

Her neighbor falls silent on the other side and only speaks to utter a soft, "Oh," in response.

She thinks he's trying to get a way out of it, which propels her into a whole mental kicking frenzy. It was a stupid idea. She shouldn't have even let it get this far. They were supposed to be just two people who made the most of their morning showers by singing some songs together.

But the reprimand is ceased by her neighbor's even gentler voice saying, "I'd love to. It'd be nice to finally put a face to that beautiful voice anyhow."

Regina notices how it almost sounds as if he has an accent, but she dismisses the thought, chalking it up to her own fantasy. How incredible would it be to find a devilishly handsome man who can sing and has an accent? Incredible, but highly unlikely. Her mind briefly flashes an image of Robin from her classes but she knows that that couldn't be. Robin has a son and Regina has had no indication that her neighbor has one. So, she's back to her original thought. She's simply dreaming up the accent.

But, that doesn't deter her from her question. "Are you free today?"

"Free as a bird," he chirps happily. Leave it to him to quote The Beatles-they're his favorite.

"How about we meet for coffee at noon, then? At Granny's? Corner booth?" she suggests, only realizing just then how high her voice had gotten during their conversation.

"Sounds perfect," he muses, then turns off his shower. "I'll let you get a long, warm one in today, as well. How about that?"

Regina slightly dislikes the idea of taking a shower without him, which sounds incredibly inappropriate, but not any less true. But, she isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and accepts with a thank you and promise to see him later. He does the same and then turns on his sink to brush his teeth, while Regina unclothes, suddenly feeling more naked than ever.

Seconds later, she turns on her Adele playlist and climbs into the shower, letting the water fall on her and attempt to wash away that worry that slowly threatens to creep up again.

 _Just don't let him be a psychopath._

[:]

Regina gets ready with the utmost haste.

The thing that takes her the longest is the outfit. She wants to go business casual because she has a meeting later and doesn't really feel like wasting two outfits so she goes with the brown silk top with the pencil skirt and black pantyhose. Cute, but formal enough for her to be taken seriously by her colleagues. Just to be sure that it's dressed down enough, though, to meet up with her neighbor, she undoes the button. But then redoes it, thinking it might be a little too much for an afternoon coffee date.

So, she'll just tell him she has a meeting, which is the truth anyway, to excuse her outfit.

But that leads her down the rabbit hole of thinking about what he's wearing, which makes her think about how old he is and how he could very well be a 20-something student that she may have taught, or worse, is teaching. And that brings her panic right back to the surface, prickling angrily beneath her skin and tightening her airway.

She shakes the voice that tells her this is a bad idea because she's already been over this. If he's a student or a young guy, that doesn't mean their fun has to end. It just means, it can't get romantic and she can't develop feelings, which is _totally_ plausible. She's Regina Mills, she doesn't catch feelings anyway. This is not a big deal.

She's had enough pep talks for the day. In fact, she's sure she's met her limit on them. So, she turns to face the mirror in the corner of her room and gives herself a once over, assuring that her chocolatey shirt is nicely tucked in and her skirt is smooth and proper. She even does a stilted spin to make sure there are no runs in her hose. She looks one more time, tousles her hair just to give it a little volume, and smiles.

Her mother would probably hate this look, say it's too young, too skimpy, but for once, Regina doesn't give a damn. This is something just for her. There is no Cora involved, not even any Emma involved. This is just Regina Mills with elusive and mysterious neighbor guy and that's all there damn well is to it.

She deserves that much.

[:]

Regina gets to the street with Granny's promptly at noon. She has to park down the block a little bit because, even for Santa Monica, parking isn't always great. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw and today is not her lucky day.

So, she has to walk a little ways to get there. Thankfully, there's a soft breeze today, making the walk a little more bearable. She even takes a minute to admire how genuinely beautiful it is outside. The streets are bathed in the warm sunlight, while the few trees off in the distance sway rhythmically to the cadence of the wind. But her favorite part is the crystal blue sky that is unmistakable and nearly hypnotizing.

Her thoughts are swiftly carried back to Robin, her student. He has really pretty eyes-not that she should be thinking of them, but he does. Secretly, she hopes her neighbor does, too. She's a total sucker for them and if she can't look at Robin's, she should at least get the same bargain with her neighbor so that she can gaze longingly into some. But, she isn't supposed to be thinking about longingly gazing into the eyes of her neighbor either. Romance is dead for her, she needs to accept that.

She's saddled with that when she finally comes across the warm and homey mixed scent of coffee and greasy bacon. Her stomach rumbles softly, despite the fact that she's already eaten. An apple and toast are plenty enough sustenance for her morning. Most days she doesn't eat lunch until well after 1 PM, but today her internal clock has decided against itself. Hopefully, the coffee will be enough to fill her until she can go back to the comfort of her home to stuff her face.

But food is the very least of her worries, she realizes when she reaches the front door.

Too caught up in her own excitement, Regina couldn't help but take a peek inside to see if she could spot her enigmatic neighbor. She'd chosen the corner booth for that sole reason, just so that she could cheat and see him.

It was a well thought out plan because she can see him clear as day in front of her.

But no, it can't be. What are the odds? She feels a tiny sliver of hope that he's there for something entirely different but that's quickly shot to hell when he glances at his watch and then to the door, which she's thankful has blinds on the other side, causing her to be camouflaged enough that he can't tell who she is. That confirms it, though. He's waiting for someone and he's sitting in the corner booth. The chance that he's waiting for someone else is slim to none.

All this time, she'd been spending time with him, singing with him, getting to know him through his music. Somewhere deep down in her she'd always hoped it was him. In her dreams she'd merged him and her neighbor, but she didn't think it was possible. There were so many things that made the neighbor seem, well, not him. But it is him, right through the door, with his newly clean cut scruff, a grey t-shirt that balances well with his gorgeous blue eyes and that scrappy, worn green jacket he always has.

But she has so many questions. How had she not recognized his voice? And what about his son, hadn't he mentioned a son? Did he recognize her voice? Surely not, because he would've told her, right?

But most importantly, what does this all mean? Is this some twist of fate? She doesn't even believe in bogus shit like that. But what a perfect coincidence that the one student she's always been drawn to is the very same neighbor she's been slowly becoming attracted to.

She thinks that she should go in, follow fate's wicked plan and see what it has in store for her. But, that isn't a good idea, and she knows it. Robin is really serious about his law career, he's told her himself. And if she got involved with him, that would be essentially ruined. Firstly, because fucking your professor is the number one way to make you look undesirable. If they ever got caught, he'd be destroyed. Secondly, she's not exactly popular with many firms after the hack job Blanchard & Gold did on her. If he got mixed up with her, that could also damage his prospects and she couldn't do that to him. She just couldn't.

Her heart stretches and tugs her, itching beneath the surface to get her to go in, while her mind yells all the horrible ways this could end. She has to make a decision to follow her heart or to protect Robin from herself. She knows the answer is obvious but she can't stop her heart from flailing around ridiculously trying to get her to go in.

Maybe they could just keep it a secret, maybe it could w-

Her hand grazes the hot, dirty metal of the knob, making her flinch and tearing her away from her internal civil war. But it's the wake up call she needs to come back down to earth and get out of her own head.

Regina takes a deep breath, swallows down all the arguments from both head and heart and gets one good, final look at Robin.

Then she runs. And doesn't look back.

* * *

 _A/N: I would like to note that, despite my team's greatest efforts, I could not bring myself to name this Wet Duets, as they liked. But it was a legendary title worth mentioning._


End file.
